MOCO 2023 Budget Recommendation: Housing, Schools, Climate

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — The recommended $6.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2023 includes the most funding in Montgomery County history for public schools and for housing, the county said in a news release.

County Executive Marc Elrich recommended $2.9 billion for Montgomery County Public Schools, which is a $147.6 million increase from last year, the county said.

"Due to the pandemic over the last two years, our children have suffered significant learning loss and it is critical that we increase our investment in their education opportunities," he said in a news release. "I am proud to have funded MCPS $117.4 million above the State’s Maintenance of Effort Requirement, and fully funded student needs."

The recommended budget allocates $140 million to improving existing affordable housing and building more.

"In Montgomery County, we have approximately 20,000 families spending 50 to 60 percent of their income on their housing – this is not acceptable nor sustainable,” said Elrich. “Creating and expanding affordable housing opportunities is one of our County’s toughest, complicated and long-lasting challenges."

The 2023 budget would also give $18.6 million to the Montgomery County Green Bank — an organization dedicated to increasing investment in clean energy in the county, with residents and businesses — if approved.

Other highlights of the budget include:

• Increasing police salaries and expanding the police recruitment unit, with the goal of increasing retention
• Full funding of Montgomery College’s budget request, including the $3.3 million that will establish the College’s East County Education Center
• $5.5 million to support newly arriving migrant and asylum-seeking children, teenagers, and families
• $1 million to create and staff a new adult protective services team to investigate cases of abuse of older residents and vulnerable residents
• Reduces regular fares on all Ride On routes by half, to bring the cost of most Ride On trips down to $1
• $1.5 million to help fill additional Montgomery County Public Library librarian positions for additional hours and customer service

“Because of the investments we have made in our community, the County’s fiscal picture has drastically improved,” said Elrich in a news release. “This budget is put forth as our community is emerging from the devastating impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic. It makes record investments in our community to ensure that our community’s prosperity continues and that everyone, regardless of race, nationality, ethnicity, gender or color, can better access it. Looking ahead, these critical investments in people and businesses position all of us to respond to future challenges, including climate change.”

The County Council will now review the budget over the next two months. It will approve a budget in late May, the county said, and it will go into effect July 1.

See the entire recommended budget here.